


Moon and Stars

by BlueNerdBird



Series: The Vellan-Carter Legacy [4]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Based on RP, Elves being soft, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), Pre-Relationship, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-09-30 19:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17229725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueNerdBird/pseuds/BlueNerdBird
Summary: Fenaren Vellan spies a strange figure in the middle of the night and follows out of curiosity. He doesn’t know that the person he meets will change his life for the better.A series of RP based writings between me and my friend West as we throw our OC’s at each other telling them to kiss.





	1. A Chance Meeting Under the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Should out to my buddy West who is Njol’s creator for some inspiring RP between two of our characters that only deserve happiness. I don’t own Njol, only Fen, this is just a bit of a sandbox where we show off how cute these two are with each other.

It had been days since Fenaren was able to meditate properly. Nightmares from years past whispered lies in his ear, and all he could do was look up at the stars to blot them out. Or try, at least.

The first time he saw them, he wasn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t a trick of the light, or a sign he was going mad. It was nothing more than a shadow across the rooftops, that just so happened to reappear the next night. And again the next night after that. 

Fenaren was glad for the lull before they left for the next town over, but the restlessness combined with an unshakable exhaustion was getting to him. Perhaps that was why on the third night of seeing them cross the rooftops, he donned his armor and climbed out his window to follow them.

They hadn’t gone far, with the figure sitting on a rooftop a few buildings away, just staring at the sky.

For a brief moment, he considered unsheathing his daggers, but the stillness of the scene kept him from doing it.

The figure on the rooftop appeared to be an elven woman, loose white hair blowing in the breeze and sun-kissed dark skin. Beside her was a strange mantle faced away from him as she rested her chin on one knee, golden eyes fixed toward the stars.

It was his curiosity that brought an unusual lack of grace to his attempts to hide, or perhaps it was the glittering stars reflected in her golden eyes. Either way, he heard a loose board creak under his weight as a dagger sunk into the roof beside his head. 

The quiet still figure was gone, replaced by a predator, teeth at the ready, poised to strike. Realizing any sudden movement could be his last, Fenaren simply raised his hands slowly, free of weapons, in a display of submission. He knew when he was outmatched.

Seeing his non-threatening stance, the woman stared at him, eyes flicking to his empty hands.

“Do you mean no harm?” She asked, her voice as rich as the fiery gold of her eyes. Her tone did little to ease his anxiety as he looked between her and her daggers.

“No, not unless you do.” It took another beat after his words before she lowered her daggers. She stared for another few seconds before her shoulders relaxed as well, but Fenaren hadn’t moved an inch.

”Ah, sorry. I… wasn’t expecting anyone else up here. At least, no one who meant well.” He nodded in response and lowered his hands.

“I was just curious as to who would be up here at this hour of the night.” Hearing that, the woman shuffled back to her spot, still not taking her eyes off of him.

“Oh. Well. That would be me. And you now, apparently.” She paused and turned, her eyes searching him as she asked, “Are you the one from the window?”

His large pointed ears perked up at her words. 

“You… noticed me?” She nodded.

“So it was you. I didn’t know if you’d seen me the first time, but you never yelled or said anything.”

“I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first, but I was curious as to who it was. What’s your name?”

The woman regarded him for a moment and Fenaren shifted again under her gaze. She ducked her head slightly as she answered: “Njol.”

Fenaren nodded in return, “Fenaren Vellan. May I…” his words unusually caught in his throat, “may I join you? If you don’t mind the company.” His request raised her brow, but she nodded.

“Oh if you want to. The view’s really good from up here.” She turned and gestured to the space next to her for him to sit down. Fenaren felt a smile cross his face as he did.

“Nights are long when you don’t have any elves to chat with while everyone is asleep.” As he settled next to her, they both turned their gazes to the stars.

“You’re traveling with others then?”

“Yes, they’re an… interesting group to say the least. We’ve been doing good though, I think.” Fen crossed his legs and leaned back on his hands as Njol hugged her knees.

“That’s good. Did you all stop in town for a reason? Or just passing by?”

“Just passing by. We’ve gotten all mixed up in a plot with giants and… I won’t bore you with details, but I don’t know how long we’ll be in town.”

Njol tilted her head a bit as she turned to regard him.

“Giants?” She asked, and Fen nodded.

“Yeah, That part surprised me, but through a bout of bad luck, we’re caught up in a conflict with giants going crazy and attacking innocent towns. I’m still not sure what to make of it.”

Njol turned her gaze back to the sky and pressed her lips into a thin line, shaking her head with a huff.

“That’s… well that’s certainly something. I’ve hunted much but… never giants before. Not purposefully.” He looked over at her words and was met with concern in her gaze. “But you said they’ve been attacking innocent towns?”

Fenaren nodded and continued, “Nightstone is where it all started, it’s been attacked before we even arrived.” He moved his hands to loosen and re-tie his braid.

“Oh… hmmm...” Njol’s expression became unreadable before she shook her head and offered him a smile. “Well I wish you the best of luck then. Or at least, slightly better luck maybe?”

“Any luck would be welcome.” He shifted as he continued to braid, feeling a calmness settle in his chest that he had forgotten existed.

“What about you Njol? What brought you here?” Njol smiled wider at his words, running a hand along the mantle at her side.

“I had Prey to hunt and was lead here to do so. But now that it’s finished…” she turned, her smile facing up to the night sky, “I just wanted to watch the stars before I had to move on.” The sincerity and peace in her voice struck a chord with Fenaren. He’d never found comfort in, well anything. But the way Njol spoke of the stars, like they were her oldest and most cherished friends, seemed to make the stars above shine a bit brighter for him. It took him another second before he found himself asking.

“How do you mean Prey? Like animals or…”

Njol pauses and Fen looked over, breaking his gaze from the stars. She glanced at him before turning to the mantle and running her hand over it again.

“Whatever He tells me to hunt. Sometimes beasts, sometimes men. Prey must be hunted regardless.” Taking a closer look at her mantle revealed it to be a large goat skull, large enough to cover her face. Fenaren realized what manner of person he could be sitting next to and for a brief moment felt a shred of fear.

However memories of his past flashed in his vision, and Fenaren realized that they may be more similar than he first thought.

“Does that scare you?” she asked after a moment of silence, but Fenaren’s expression remained neutral.

“Not as much as I thought.” His answer must have surprised her, as she tilted her head to the side and studied him for a moment. He didn’t meet her gaze, but looked up to the stars.

Njol said nothing, she didn’t press, but Fenaren could feel questions hanging in the air between them. As memories and familiar voices filled his head, he felt his ears flatten as he tried to block them out as his hands stilled from braiding. He blinked and shook his head, his gaze turning downward as he could feel her gaE on him. She had been nothing but kind, and if anyone would understand, it would possibly be a hunter like her. His voice was soft as he spoke.

“I was almost made to be something like that.” With his gaze on the stars, he missed concern flicker in her eyes as her gaze softened.

“Prey? Or Hunter?” She asked, voice soft.

“Hunter.”

A moment of silence.

“You would not have chosen so.”

“No.”

Why wa she telling her this? He barely knew Njol, but as he looked at her, he saw genuine concern in her golden eyes and felt something stir within him.

He’d barely talked about his past with the party he traveled with. It could’ve been any number of things as to why he wanted to continue, but he felt a kind of kinship he hadn’t felt since Caitris.

“I escaped before they made me into one.” Fenaren expected pity or false words, but his eyes widened as she simply nodded.

“I know what that’s like. To be forced into something.”

Her words were not anything Fenaren had expected, but he found the air catching in his throat.

“It never really leaves you.” His words had gotten quieter, but in her gaze he could tell there was an understanding in it, and it broke his walls down further.

“There aren’t any words to take that pain away that I can give, but it’s nice to have another that understands.” For a moment he thought he’d said something wrong, but she just gave him a small smile.

“But you have a choice now, don’t you?”

Letting loose a deep breath, he felt his unbraided hair move freely as another breeze blew past them. It was still a strange idea in his mind, but he was actually free from his past life. As much as he could be, anyway.

No longer did he have to obey the laws put in place by his parents or noble heritage, he was still free. The weight that had once lied on shoulders was now gone.

The understanding remained however. Njol has been so kind to him, and he could only hope that she had her freedom as he now had his.

“If someone like me can free themselves, then I have no doubt that you can too.” He tried offering her a reassuring smile, but it was met by a light laugh. He was too distracted by the musical lilt of her laughter to remember why he was ever worried about coming up here in the first place.

“Ah… thank you, but what I am now is my choice.”

At her admission, Fenaren let out a small laugh as well. He felt slightly awkward at his misste, but for once it was overshadowed by the peace he felt watching the stars with her.

“That is fair. As long as it is what you want, then you should be free to pursue it.” Looking over, he saw Njol with a smile that reached her eyes and felt his heart thump before both turned back to the stars.

“I wouldn’t have anything else. He let me see the stars without judgement,” she said softly, words overflowing with gratitude and what seemed like true affection, “He let me be free under the moon… it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

The sincerity in her tone surprised him, but he appreciated the candor. This woman he’d known for such a short time seemed to bring an understanding that Fenaren didn’t realize he’d been missing.

Finding ways to be free, whether under the moon or fighting giants, Fenaren supposed it was all they could hope for.

“Freedom is all you really need at the end of the day,” he replied, calm washing over him in waves.

“I am grateful for it.” Her next words sent a stirring in his chest: “I hope you find the same freedom yourself Fenaren.”

Whichever god had sent Njol to the same town as him, he sent up a brief prayer of thanks. He didn’t realize how much a simple conversation could make him feel like this, but for the first time in ten years he felt the warm feeling of hope rise in his chest.

He made sure to keep his eyes fixed on Njol as he spoke next, trying to convey how much her words meant to him.

“It seems closer than it's ever been.”

As Njol nodded with a soft smile once more, Fenaren felt the hope in his chest blossom.both elves broke eye contact and looked up once more at the stars, almost burning brighter than they had before.

“Then I’m glad.”

Knowing that it wasn’t long before he needed to get some meditation in, Fenaren turned to her a few minutes later.

“Will I see you again someday?” He asked, unable to keep the pleading tone from his voice.

“I hope so. Until we meet again Fenaren.”

He could only smile and nod as he crept back to the inn. Feeling lighter than he had in a decade, Fenaren could only pray to the gods that he could see her again someday.


	2. Disguises and Hair Dye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fenaren treads in dangerous territory as the party gears up to head to Silverymoon. Fen doesn't wish to go undisguised, but Njol is there to help.

“An interesting fit…” Njol said, appraising the new mask upon Fenaren’s face.

“I made do with the things I had, as long as it keeps me from being recognized,” he replied. His mind was running in circles around him, and it was only Njol’s voice that was keeping him grounded at the moment.

“It is much lighter than I’m used to,” her eyes flicked to the goat head mantle at her side, “but it should suffice. Though you may want to do something for your hair.”

Change. There was so much  _ change  _ in his appearance, in what he was going to do, it made him sick to his stomach. His long white braided hair, that he’d braided with Caitris during long nights comforting each other. They’d always kept it matching, taught themselves to braid it the same way.

It was a dead giveaway to who he was related to, white hair and green eyes were a trademark of the Vellan family. He would cherish the meaning it held for him and Caitris, but if they were only a few days out from Silverymoon…

He unsheathed one of the daggers at his side and took his braid in hand. The blade cut through his hair like water, the braid going limp in his other hand as he cuts his hair short above his ears.

“I’ve never been without long hair, and tonight I have some time to color it with dyes I have stored away. Hopefully that will be a sufficient enough disguise,” he said quietly. The campfire cracked in front of them, sitting a bit away from the main camp, but close enough to keep the light of the fire. Overhead, the stars watched as Fen got up and tossed the braid into the fire.

A moment of silence passed between the two elves before Njol walked up to Fen, reaching for his dagger.

“May I?” she asked, and the tone of her voice made Fen’s heart slow. He trusted her, and his thoughts were too chaotic to say anything, so he just handed her the dagger. Going to sit back down, Njol sat behind him as she evened out the jagged edges of his own haircut. Her hands were gentle, never pulling to hard or cutting too close to the skin.

After a few minutes, she spoke, “There. A little better.”

Fen turned around and gave her a soft smile, “Thank you Njol. Now I have to figure out a color, and hopefully by then, even my own sister won’t be able to recognize me.” His words got quieter at the end, and he ran a hand through his hair, face darkening as he realized what he’d said, and how much he didn’t want that the be the case at all.

His days of long braided white hair were gone, all that was left were short scraps of hair that didn’t get past his neck or ears. He blinked back emotion as figures filled his head, of why he didn’t want to be recognized.

In front of him, Njol just tilted her head to the side, “Brown could work. It is a very common color.” Still running his hands through it, Fen thought for a moment.

Brown was a common color, and it would be easier to hide, not like the stark white it currently was, and could be just the thing to keep him hidden.

“Brown it is then.”

Frowning at his tone, Njol spoke before he could turn to go get his pack. “I like it. It’s a new you. But you could always grow it back. It’s not gone forever.”

Fen felt the ice in his chest melt a bit, she was right. It wasn’t anything that he couldn’t regrow later, and even the dye is not meant to be permanent. Looking at the woman in front of him, who’s hair almost seemed to shine with moonlight, he couldn’t help but smile.

“You are right, it may take a while, but it will hopefully be enough to keep me safe. Well, more safe than I already am with you.” Njol ducked her head at her words.

“Ah… thank you. I will protect you to the best of my abilities. I promise.” For a moment, Fenaren forgot about Silverymoon, about his past, and about the short hair he now had.

“I trust you Njol, I know that you will.” She blinked at his words, trying to find her own.

“You honor me. I will do my best to live up to it.”

The smile still on his face, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of safety. The kind of security he hadn’t felt since leaving Caitris. It was new, unfamiliar, but he couldn’t keep the smile from his face, or a slight blush from his cheeks from her.

Realizing that he hadn’t felt that way toward anyone in a long time, he cleared his throat, breaking her gaze.

“We should uh, probably let the others know that I’m changing my appearance as well. In the morning at least.”

“We should.”

Going over and grabbing the rest of his disguise kit, Fen went over and sat down by Njol again, sorting the dyes and handing her a bottle to help.

They worked silently together for a while, beginning the process of dying his hair brown. He found himself relaxing further as her hands tangled in his short hair, and he had to remind his hands to continue going. It was all he could do not to lean back on her and sigh. He needed to keep his mind on the task at hand, and asked her questions instead.

“Do you think you’ll join us in Silverymoon?” Where her hands had been gently working it into his hair, she paused.

“When will you go?”

“Shouldn’t take but another day or two of travel, the others want to stay in the city before going to find a giant-slaying weapon.” Her hands started moving again, reaching the spots he missed.

“If you would have me,” she said, and Fenaren couldn’t stop the flush that grew in his cheeks.

“I would,” he replied, realizing that his words rang true in more ways than he’d ever realized. Behind him, Njol smiled.

“Then I would be honored.”

Unable to stop himself from leaning against her, Fenaren let his back rest against her, the smile returning to his face.

“I feel safer already,” he said playfully, but he was unable to fully mask the underlying sincerity of his tone. It earned him a soft laugh from Njol.

“I’m glad to hear it,” she replied, checking a few spots in his hair.

“Thank you for your help Njol, it would be rather difficult to do on my own.”

“Of course. Anything to help, Fen. You’ve been kind to me.”

Running another bit of dye through his hair, he found her hand and brushed his own against it lightly.

“And you to me,” Fen took a breath, steadying his voice, “Whatever awaits me in that city, I will rest easier knowing that you are on my side.”

Behind him, Njol’s eyes widened as her cheeks warmed. After a moment of hestitation, she took his hand and squeezed it lightly.

“Thank you,” she said, voice barely loud enough to hear.

Fen held her hand a moment, feeling his face heat as well. He was glad to be turned around, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to keep his emotions from his face.

“Anytime. The same courtesy extends to you as well Njol, should you require aid with something, you need only ask.”

“Thank you Fen,” she repeated, and Fen let loose a small nervous laugh.

“You keep saying it, but it should be the other way around,” realizing how much he enjoyed this, enjoyed the feel of her hand in his, he continued, “Before you I didn’t… I enjoy our group but there were few that I could talk to without them immediately propositioning me. We…” he paused again, trying to find the words.

“Njol, there isn’t anyone else I’d want to watch the stars with.”

A long moment of silence passed between them. Fen was worried when she didn’t do anything in response to his words, but felt a warm pressure as Njol rested her forehead against his shoulder and squeezed his hand again.

Fen could tell that they didn’t have to use words to communicate how much they meant to each other. He couldn’t imagine his life without her, but just leaned on her in response, trying not to get the dye onto her. She supported him, in a way he’d never really had.

He’d had friends before, but none very close save for Samran. Even then, he knew that Samran’s heart had only ever belonged to Caitris. He’d never had someone to rely on completely, someone that he knew would have his back like Njol did.

Sitting here with only the stars as their witnesses, Fen wondered what kind of territory that he and Njol had just wandered into. All he could do was appreciate the feel of her hands in his hair, and in his hand. Knowing, perhaps, that there were no more words to be shared, he just ran his thumb along the back of her hand comfortingly.

He figured his disguise wouldn’t be so bad, especially if there was someone who knew him for all he was, and not just as a Vellan heir, but as Fenaren.


End file.
